Do you or how do you think hunt tests compliment field trials?

Simple question simple answers.

Hope it leads to interesting discussion.

Here is a dumb answer from someone that dont't know! I would have to think that the dog would not know the difference other than the commands that have been instilled into the dog. I know my pants are probably around my ankles right now. lol

Well there are significant differences- distance for one. A lot of hunt test dogs break down early to hunt in a field trial. and that goes for blinds. Retired guns in field trials. some hunt test people think because they don't see the guns when birds are thrown that their dogs will have no problem with retired guns. Wrong! When they come back from picking up go bird whops what happened to the field it changed. There is more suction because of white coats and in a wide open set up in a field trial a dog must work things out on his own in alot of cases.

Now it your turn to show how hunt tests can compliment field trials.

Once again i dont want to get caught with my trowsers down on this one. so will answer this way. In a hunt situation a good hunting dog will mark and retrieve. With multiple shooters not all birds can be marked and crips can really confuse the situation when multiple birds go down. Each flyer can be handled differently, wheras the dog may have to be handled on the unmarked crip and the first bird marked can be a simple retrieve left as the last bird. To answer your question since this is my rookie observation, I will now look more into field trials and answer the rest latter. No one else replied to this thread and i figure if i open my big mouth and pretend like i know, maybe someone who knows will chime in.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael L. Moscowitz:
Do you or how do you think hunt tests compliment field trials?

Simple question simple answers.

Okay, I'll give it a try!

HT's supplement FT's by providing a venue for proving & evaluating the work of a retriever against a 'standard', rather than judging dog against dog.
HT's enable more people to participate in Field competition providing them with a more realistic and obtainable goal.
FT dogs produce a large number of HT dogs, which I guess would complement HT‘s.
Top level titled HT dogs are a way of adding more 'proven working' dogs into the gene pool. These dogs otherwise might not be recognized as a value to the breed, if FT’s were the only available venue to showcase such a dog.

Norene & Dom
Nordom Chesapeakes
Home of 10 AKC MH's

Hunting tests for retrievers help to get more people out in the field events with their dog.
I think someone who has never hunted might just get hooked on these "hunting" field events and eventually work their way up to give the tougher field trials a try.
Way back in 1980 for field events all we had to choose from was the highly competitive field trials or the pass fail WD WDX stakes. It is really nice to have another option, also for those competing to have an opportunity to be successful with out spending big bucks.

What Norene said.....

On a most simple level, distance erodes control....

I believe that Field Trials and Hunt Tests compliment each other and are both something that anyone interested in field work with any retriever breed should check out. Get involved with the local retriever clubs many clubs have access to grounds and training equipment that will only enrich the training of a top notch gundog.

Norene that was a great post.

Hunt test's bring more people into the dog games. Success early on keeps people interested in the possibilities.

I feel if you have a talented dog; train for field trials, then run junoir, senior hunt tests.

The tests will be straight forward and it will give you valuable time at the line with your dog.

After that, concentrate of Ft's.
You can always come back to Ht's for the Master title later.
It's virtually impossible the other way around.